Serbian Energy Ministry proposes energy saving measures in light of rising prices

BELGRADE, August 30 — PRIME. The Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy released recommendations on energy savings for state, municipal, commercial institutions and households on Tuesday in light of rising prices.

First of all, recommendatory measures relate to budgetary organizations and institutions.

“It is recommended to rationally use lighting, limit the operation of decorative lighting, use LED devices, replace window and door openings to increase energy efficiency, install solar panels, switch from electric heating appliances to other sources of heating, use heat pumps, which should lead to a decrease in energy consumption by 15% compared to the same period last year,” the Serbian Energy Ministry said.

It is noted that along with austerity measures in state and municipal structures, energy sector enterprises should develop a plan to reduce losses in networks.

“When it comes to households, the recommendations refer to the rational use, primarily of electrical energy,” the report says.

The state-owned Electricity Industry of Serbia (EPS) has been tasked with developing a system of incentive discounts for energy-saving responsible consumers.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Tuesday he had turned off his refrigerator and most of the lights on his floor at the presidential residence to save electricity in light of rising prices. He clarified that the Serbian authorities were forced to import four gigawatts of electricity the day before, which cost the budget 2.4 million euros.

At the end of July, Vučić said that high temperatures in the Western Balkans led to a decrease in the water level in the Danube and problems with coal transport on the one hand, and an increase in electricity consumption on the other.

Earlier, he repeatedly stated that the cost of electricity in the country is one of the lowest in Europe. According to him, at the beginning of July, at prices on world exchanges of about 360 euros per megawatt, in Serbia a megawatt for households costs 41 euros, and for businesses – 75 euros. The producer of over 50% of the energy in the country is the network of thermal power plants “Nikola Tesla” (TENT) with a maximum annual output of 20 thousand gigawatt-hours produced and 28 million tons of processed lignite from the Kolubara basin.